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Used Car Review: Volvo S80 (2006-2015)

The Volvo S80 has long been a fresh alternative to the mainstream 5 Series, E-class and A6, but yet, we see so few of them around the roads on Australia. What little presence the S80 has means you’re driving around in something just a little bit more special. By now, the S80 has ceased production, and has been taken over by the S90, Volvo’s newest flagship sedan. Volvo didn’t seem to sell that many S80 sedans over the course of it’s production year, from 2006 to 2016, and that’s evidenced by the fact that there are only 11 for sale on CarSales. That’s not to say that it was a bad car. The S80 was a large, comfy, luxurious car, packed full of equipment. It was the perfect highway cruiser, however, not as agile or nimble as a BMW 5 series. The S80 was released with three engines, only one of which was a diesel, the D5, with 205 horsepower. A turbo 6 cylinder, the T6, was also available that produced 243 horsepower, along with eh range topping V8, which made 315 horsepower. Both petrol models came with all wheel drive, while the D5 only came in front wheel drive. While economical, the D5 was powerful for a diesel, with plenty of pulling power. That said, the most popular option was the T6 turbo petrol 6 cylinder. While more thirsty, many preferred the refinement of an inline 6 cylinder. Classic luxury car depreciation has hit the big swede like a lead bullet, with the cheapest vehicle, a 2008 T6, being made available for $9,999 AUD, with only 146,000 kilometres on it. The most expensive is a 2014 S80 T6, available for $39,990.

Things to watch out for:Volvo’s in general are reliable, and coupled with the fact that the S80 was produced while the company was under the owner ship of Ford, and uses the same Ford EUCD platform, along with a lot of part sharing between Ford models, Volvo was a, albeit slightly, more affordable prospect to other luxury European models. A majority for the parts used were shared amongst the Ford Mondeo, such as major suspension components and some other mechanical stuff, which also meant accessing parts was easy. However, there were several noted issues that occurred to the S80 over it’s lifespan.The first issue was the 4C “Four Corner” adaptive suspension. It wasn’t unrelaible in anyway, and it was a fantastic piece of technology that could just dampers and shocks within the suspension. That said, whenever there was an issue with it, the suspension would be costly to fix. It’s best to check it out and address any problems early on.The D5 diesel engine had a major problem with one of the cylinders, where it would malfunction, due to one of two reasons. The first being a loose plug, which wasn’t terribly difficult to fix. The other, less so, was a broken injector. This being more expensive to fix. Another issue with his engine was the variable valve timings being disrupted. The result being a loss of power and a high pitched whistle noise. Cleaning the valves would fix or prevent this from happening. One other problem was with the particulate filter. It was important to give the car a good, long, highway run to prevent clogging up.The automatic transmission was an okay transmission. Nothing wrong, but it wasn’t the most involving or sharpest transmission, but it just got the job done. When going for a test drive, keep an eye out for the transmission, and note whether it stays stuck in gears or skips them. This is a sign that the gearbox hasn’t been cleaned out or serviced properly, which could result in a hefty repair bill. It never hurts to flush the transmission oil to clean it up a bit.The ignition may break, and may need replacing in the long run, the same with the electronic handbrake, as it may not release. These issues are relatively easy to fix.One minor problem that can cause major havoc is the cars computer. Located underneath the drivers side footwell, and when accidentally kicked, can sometimes knock it about, which can cause havoc on the electrics. If this does occur, it wouldn’t help to look underneath the footwell and check if the computer has been moved. If this sounds a little difficult, an authorised volvo mechanic could help you out.While the interior is known for it’s bulletproof build quality, there have been some issues regarding the leather and it’s excessive wearing, which isn’t to much of a problem, as they are mainly seen on more high mileage cars.

Personally, I like the Volvo S80. The company was bringing revolutionary and advanced technology to the market, at incredibly competitive prices, and thanks to depreciation, many people can afford to move into these safe European vehicles. While some minor niggles may have existed, it still remains a reliable, safe, well built, and thanks to part sharing with Ford, slightly more affordable alternative than the three German competitors.